Architect of Florida Poly's Flagship Building 'Very Disappointed' With Design of Nearby Dormitories

Wednesday

Jun 11, 2014 at 10:34 PM

When Florida Polytechnic University leaders looked at plans for a dormitory last fall, they said they needed a housing solution that was affordable and suitable – and they were pleased with their final decision.

By MARY TOOTHMANTHE LEDGER

LAKELAND | When Florida Polytechnic University leaders looked at plans for a dormitory last fall, they said they needed a housing solution that was affordable and suitable – and they were pleased with their final decision.But when well-known Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava got a firsthand look at what is going to be standing near his modern design for the school's flagship building, he was not happy.In a letter fired off to school leaders after their visit in late April, Calatrava's associate Frank Lorino said he and Calatrava were "very disappointed" in the "schizophrenic expression" developing on campus.The five-story, boxy building might be affordable, but it offended the man who was paid about $13 million to design for the polytechnic.The master plan Calatrava created back in 2006 called for elegant, wavy looking structures to line the waterway behind the Information, Science and Technology (IST) Building. The plan, however, was never formally approved and much has changed since its creation.The new school was created by controversial legislation that simultaneously mandated that the University of South Florida's Lakeland campus be dissolved. School leaders inherited the modern, flag-ship building designed by Calatrava that cost more than $100 million, including infrastructure. They also inherited being the sounding board for complaints and barbs about the cost.The 90,000-square-foot residential hall nearing completion on the campus was developed in a partnership with Vestcor Communities Inc. of Jacksonville. That company is using its own money to build the first building, and will begin to benefit once rent comes in from students.Florida Poly was not in a position to borrow funds to develop a residence hall itself because it has no borrowing ability since it is a new school without a credit history.It did cost Florida Poly about $970,000 to get the housing site cleared and provide infrastructure. School leaders recognized that being able to offer housing would help draw in new students. It also was spelled out in the legislative bill that created Florida Poly that at least 190 beds would be available by December 2016.The dorm that will be ready when the school opens Aug. 25 was designed to provide about 209 beds. During a recent committee meeting held via conference call, Florida Poly board members talked about the dorm construction and the contrast with Calatrava's original designs for the site. The total cost of the building has been called into question in the past, members said, so it's important to be very sensitive to cost and remain mindful of being public stewards going forward.For Calatrava, however, there's another way of looking at things. In an interview last year with The Ledger, Calatrava acknowledged that working within a strict budget was a challenge and took pride that he had not gone over.But he's not feeling good about the development that's going on around the building these days. "Honestly, we were very disappointed (in the dorm)," his letter to Florida Poly board members said. "Its location displaces a grove of live oaks that are one of the site's treasures. The building is not only taller than the existing tree canopy, it dominates the eastern approach to the campus from I-4 and Polk Parkway, as well as the southern approach along Ring Road, and it is taller than the adjacent IST building."Florida Poly Chief Operating Officer Ava Parker said the landmark building has unquestionably been a great calling card for the school. "The Innovation, Science and Technology Building is our signature building, and its innovative design has helped to inspire students, faculty and supporters of the university," she said Monday. "Certainly, when the new board was selected for the institution, it changed the focus of the curriculum, and we've adjusted the building to match that new dedication to technology and engineering." An additional concern for Calatrava and Lorino is the plan to build another residence hall. "Since the phase one infrastructure was specifically built to support only the master plan, this development will also require additional costs to extend the campus infrastructure to the new residence hall; and will only accentuate the schizophrenic expression that is developing in the campus design — where the IST Building defines one pole, and the residence halls, the other."We strongly implore you not to do this. There are always alternative solutions to every problem and it is not too late to put the development of the campus master plan back on an integrated track."Calatrava's office did not respond to an inquiry from The Ledger asking for specific ideas on how that could be accomplished.The current strategy, the letter said, "is severely diminishing the value of the university."A spokeswoman for the university said the school's leaders have not responded to the letter from Calatrava and Lorino.

[ Mary Toothman can be reached at mary.toothman@theledger.com or 863-802-7512. Her Twitter feed is @MaryToothman.]